Closure regulator means



8- 1966 A. TANAKA 3,263,367

CLOSURE REGULATOR MEANS Filed May a, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Aug. 2, 1966 A. TANAKA CLOSURE REGULATOR MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMay 8, 1964 IN VEN TOR. fifzm find/fa United States Patent 3,263,367CLOSURE REGULATOR MEANS Akira Tanaka, Southfieid, Mich, assignor toGeneral Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of DelawareFiled May 8, 1964, Ser. No. 366,041 7 Claims. (Cl. 49-349) Thisinvention relates to regulator means for vehicle body closures and moreparticularly to power-operated regulator means for vehicle bodyclosures.

One feature of this invention is that it provides new and improvedpower-operated regulator means for moving vehicle body closures betweenopen and closed positions. Another feature of this invention is that itprovides new and improved power-operated regulator means, including aunidirectional electric motor, for moving vehicle body closures in bothdirections between open and closed positions. A further feature of thisinvention is that the unidirectional electric motor is shiftably mountedon the closure to have a drive pinion thereof selectively engageablewith either of a pair of spaced rack segments mounted on the body,wherein operation of the motor when the pinion engages one of the racksegments moves the closure in one direction, and wherein operation ofthe motor when the pinion is in engagement with the other rack segmentmoves the closure in an opposite direction.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be readilyapparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary partially broken away elevational view of avehicle body including power-operated regulator means according to thisinvention, showing the window closures in closed position;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged partially broken away view of a portion ofFIGURE 1, showing a window closure in an open position;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the regulator meansin a diiferent position; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the planeindicated by line 44 of FIG- URE 2.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a vehicle bodyincludes a windshield 12, a door 14 hingedly mounted on the body formovement between open and closed positions and mounting a ventilationwindow 16, and a rear quarter window closure 18. A side window closure26 in door 14, adapted to move relative to the door inner panel betweenfully opened and fully closed positions, includes a glass pane 22mounted at its lower edge in a sash plate 24 which is verticallyslidably mounted in a well-known manner in a pair of spaced glass-runchannels 26 secured to the door inner panel.

As seen best in FIGURES 2 and 4, a rack member 28 is mounted at eitherend thereof on the inner panel of door 14 by upper and lower mountingbrackets 30. Member 28 has an elongated central aperture therein formingopposite sets of rack teeth providing a left rack segment or portion 32and a right rack portion 34, both of a length substantially equal to therequired travel of closure between fully opened and fully closedpositions. As shown in FIGURE 4, a lower central extension of sash plate24 has mounted thereon by screws 36 respective pairs of guide blocks 38and 40 slidably embracing the outer side edges of member 28 to provideadditional guiding of sash plate 24 during movement thereof between theopen and closed positions of closure 20.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, a generally triangular motor carrier plate 42is pivotally mounted adjacent the upper corner thereof on sash plate 24by a pin 44, and a unidirectional motor assembly 46 is secured to thecarrier plate by a bracket 48. As seen best in FIGURE 4, motor assembly46 has an output shaft 50 projecting inwardly toward the inner panel ofdoor 14 through an aperture in carrier plate 42 and an elongatedaperture 52 in sash plate 24. A cylindrical toothed pinion member 54 issecured to output shaft 50 and has the teeth thereof disposed within theelongated central aperture of member 28 so as to be engageable with theright and left rack portions 32 and 34 thereof.

Referring to FIGURE 2, a solenoid 56 having an armature plunger 58 ismounted on sash plate 24, and the plunger 58 is connected by a pivotablelink 60 to the central pivot 62 of a toggle linkage 64. Linkage 64 ispivotally connected at one end 66 thereof to extension 25 and at theother end 68 thereof to a lower corner of carrier plate 42. Acompression spring 70 seating between the housing of solenoid 56 and ashoulder 72 on plunger 58 biases plunger 58 outwardly to positionlinkage 64 in an unfolded or generally straightened position thereof asshown in FIGURE 2. In this position of the linkage, carrier plate 42,and consequently motor assembly 46, is located with respect to sashplate 24 and member 28 to have pinion 54 located in meshing engagementwith the right rack portion 34. If, therefore, motor assembly 46 isenergized to rotate pinion 54 clockwise over this rack portion, the unitof carrier plate 42, sash plate 24 and glass 22 are moved upwardlytoward the closed position of closure 20.

If it is desired to move closure 20 downwardly to an open positionthereof, solenoid 56 is energized to withdraw plunger 58 inwardlyagainst the action of spring '70 to break linkage 64 into a foldedposition thereof as shown in FIGURE 3. Carrier plate 42 is therebyshifted to a leftward position wherein pinion 54 is located in meshingengagement with the left rack portion 32. Motor assembly 46 may then beenergized to rotate pinion 54 clockwise over rack portion 32, thereby tomove the sash plate 24 and glass 22 downwardly to the desired openposition of the closure. When solenoid 56 is deenergized, spring 70returns linkage 64, carrier plate 42, and pinion 54 to the positionshown in FIGURE 2.

It will be understood that relatively simple control means may beprovided for selectively energizing motor. assembly 46 and forconcurrently controlling solenoid 56 to locate carrier plate 42 in thedesired position. For example, a multi pole double-throw switch 74 maybe employed as shown in FIGURE 4, wherein one throw of the switchenergizes both the motor assembly 46 and the solenoid 56 so that thepinion 54 is driven over the left rack portion to move the closuredownwardly. The other throw of the switch may energize only motorassembly 46 so that spring 70 locates pinion 54 in engagement with r-ackportion 34, and the pinion then moves the window closure upwardly.

Since relatively low speeds of pinion 54 are desirable, motor assembly46 may be either of the low output speed vibratory type, or a normallyarmatu-red single field winding DC. motor suitably connected throughreduction gearing to output shaft 50. In either case, mot-or assembly 46should be irreversible so that window closure 2%) may be supported inany selected position thereof by the engagement between the pinion 54and either rack portion 32 or 34.

Suificient frictional support means may be provided in glass-runchannels 26 and between guide blocks 38 and 40 and member 28 so that thewindow closure 20 is not permitted to immediately fall by gravity orotherwise whenever carrier plate 42 is moved between two positions ofthe pinion 54. Further, if it is found that it is undesirable to havemotor assembly 46 running immediately during movement of the carrierplate between these two positions, time delay relay means may beprovided in the control circuit for the motor assembly so that itoperates sequentially with solenoid 56.

Thus new and improved regulator means for vehicle body closure membersare provided.

I claim:

*1. In a vehicle body including a body member and a closure membermovable relative to said body member to a plurality of positions betweenfirst and second terminal positions, the combination comprising,power-operated means, means mounting said power-operated means on one ofsaid members for movement relative thereto between first and secondpositions, first means mounted on the other of said members engageableby said power-operated means in said first position thereof to move saidclosure member in one direction between said terminal positions thereof,second means mounted on said other member and engageable by saidpower-operated means in said second position thereof to move saidclosure member in an opposite direction between said terminal positionsthereof, and means operable to selectively move said power-operatedmeans between said first and second positions thereof at any position ofsaid closure member between said terminal positions thereof.

2: In a vehicle body including a body-member and a closure membermovable relative to said body member to a plurality of positions betweenfirst and second terminal positions, the combination comprising, a motorshifta-b'ly mounted on one of said members for movement between firstand second positions, first means mounted on the other of said membersengageable by said motor in said first position thereof to move saidclosure member toward one terminal position thereof, second meansmounted on said other member and engageable by said motor in said secondposition thereof to move said closure member toward the other terminalposition thereof, and means operable to selectively move said motorbetween said first and second positions thereof at any position of saidclosure member between said terminal positions thereof.

3. In a vehicle body including a body member and a closure membermovable relative to said body member to a plurality of positions betweenfirst and second terminal positions, the combination comp-rising,power-operated means, drive means driven by said power-operated means,means mounting said drive means on one of said members for movementrelative thereto between first and second positions, first means mountedon the other of said members engageable by said drive means in saidfirst position thereof to move said closure member toward one terminalposition thereof upon operation of said power-operated means, secondmeans mounted on said other member and engageable by said drive means insaid second position thereof to move said closure member toward theother terminal position thereof upon operation of said power-operatedmeans, and means operable to selectively move said drive means betweensaid first and second positions thereof at any position of said closuremember between said terminal positions thereof.

4. 'In a vehicle body including a body member and a closure membermovable relative to said body member to a plurality of positions betweenfirst and second terminal positions, the combination comprising,poweroperated means including a drive pinion, means mounting saidpower-operated means on one of said members for movement between firstand second positions, first rack means mounted on the other of saidmembers and engageable by said pinion in said first position of saidpower-operated means to move said closure member toward one terminalposition thereof, second rack means mounted on said other member andengageable by said pinion in said second position of said power operatedmeans to move said closure member toward the other terminal positionthereof, and means operable to selectively move said power-operatedmeans between said first and second positions thereof at any position ofsaid closure member between said terminal positions thereof.

5. In a vehicle body including a body member and a closure membermovable relative to said body member to a plurality of positions betweenfirst and second terminal positions, the combination comprising, aunidirectional electric motor, a drive pinion driven by said motor,means mounting said pinion on one of said members for movement betweenfirst and second positions, first rack means mounted on the other ofsaid members and engageab'le by said pinion in said first positionthereof to move said closure member toward one terminal position thereofupon operation of said motor, second rack means mounted on said othermember and engageable by said pinion in said second position thereof tomove said closure member toward the other terminal position thereof uponoperation of said motor, and means operable to selectively move saidpinion bet-ween said first and second positions thereof at any positionof said closure member between said terminal positions thereof.

6. 'In a vehicle body including a body member and a closure membermovably mounted on said body member for movement to a plurality ofpositions between terminal fully open and fully closed positions, thecombination comprising, a unidirectional electric motor including adrive pinion, means mounting said motor on said closure member formovement between first and second positions, a rack member mounted onsaid body member and including spaced first and second rack portionsformed therein and engageable by said pinion in said first and secondpositions respectively of said motor, operation of said motor means insaid first position thereof moving said closure member in one directionbetween said terminal positions thereof, operation of said motor in saidsecond position thereof moving said closure member in an oppositedirection between said terminal positions thereof, and means operable toselectively move said motor between said first and second positionsthereof at any position of said closure member between said terminalpositions thereof.

7. Regulator means as recited in claim 6, wherein said selective movingmeans includes power-operated means operable concurrently with saidmotor means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 276,028 4/1883Gould 743l 1,496,686 6/1924 Tabakin 74-31 1,746,528 2/1930 Gray 743l2,729,444 1/1956 Horton 268-124 X HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.REINALDO P. MACHADO, Examiner. I. K. BELL, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY INCLUDING A BODY MEMBER AND A CLOSURE MEMBERMOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID BODY MEMBER TO A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS BETWEENFIRST AND SECOND TERMINAL POSITIONS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING,POWER-OPERATED MEANS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID POWER-OPERATED MEANS ON ONE OFSAID MEMBERS FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO BETWEEN FIRST AND SECONDPOSITIONS, FIRST MEANS MOUNTED ON THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS ENGAGEABLEBY SAID POWER-OPERATED MEANS IN SAID FIRST POSITION THEREOF TO MOVE SAIDCLOSURE MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION BETWEEN SAID TERMINAL POSITIONS THEREOF,SECOND MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID OTHER MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE BY SAIDPOWER-OPERATED MEANS IN SAID SECOND POSITION THEREOF TO MOVE SAIDCLOSURE MEMBER IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION BETWEEN SAID TERMINAL POSITIONSTHEREOF, AND MEANS OPERABLE TO SELECTIVELY MOVE SAID POWER-OPERATEDMEANS BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS THEREOF AT ANY POSITION OFSAID CLOSURE MEMBER BETWEEN SAID TERMINAL POSITIONS THEREOF.